Electromagnetic stimulator

• US 6,592,509 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2002
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas W. Hunter Jr
• Original Assignee: Thomas W. Hunter Jr
• Inventors: Hunter, Thomas W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VENIAMINOV, NIKITA R
• Application Number:
  US10/067,051
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 600/13, 600/15, 600/14, 600/26, 607/3, 607/51, 607/64, 607/72, 607/46, 607/76, 607/52, 602/2, 320/108, 320/138
• US Class Current: 600/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/22 Electromedical belts , e.g. neck chains, armbands
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/40 Applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling microwave apparatus A61N5/00; Applying radio-frequency signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/02 using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence

Abstract

An electromagnetic stimulator system and a method for treating body tissue utilizes includes an electrically-conductive band having an interior opening, a body of electrically-conductive material secured to the band in electrically-conducting relationship therewith, and an insulated coil encircling the body of the electrically-conductive material so that when a DC current is conducted through the coil, an electromagnetic field is induced through the body of electrically-conductive material which, in turn, induces an electromagnetic field within the interior opening of the band. A battery charger is used to delivering DC current through the coil from an AC electrical outlet so that by positioning the body tissue to be treated within the electrically-conductive band and delivering DC current through the coil, the body tissue positioned within the band is exposed to the electromagnetic field induced within the interior opening of the band.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic stimulator system for treating body tissue, the system comprising:

an electrically-conductive band having an interior opening sized to accept body tissue desired to be treated with the stimulator system;

a body of electrically-conductive material secured to the band in electrically-conducting relationship therewith;

an insulated coil encircling the body of the electrically-conductive material so that when a DC current is conducted through the coil, an electromagnetic field is induced through the body of electrically-conductive material which, in turn, induces an electromagnetic field within the interior opening of the band; and

means for delivering DC current through the coil so that by positioning the body tissue to be treated within the electrically-conductive band and delivering DC current through the coil, the body tissue positioned within the band is exposed to the electromagnetic field induced within the interior opening of the band.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 further including means connected to the coil for selectively altering the flow of DC current which is delivered to the coil between one and another current flow so that the body tissue positioned within the band can be treated by the electromagnetic field induced by the one or another flow of DC current through the coil.

3. The system as defined in claim 2 wherein the means for altering the flow of DC current through the coil includes resistance means wired in-line with the coil.

4. The system as defined in claim 3 wherein the resistance means includes at least one light bulb wired in-line with the coil assembly.

5. The system as defined in claim 3 wherein the resistance means includes two light bulbs wired in parallel to one another and in-line with the coil, and the means for altering further includes a switch associated with one of the light bulbs for selectively permitting or shutting off the flow of current through said one bulb.

6. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the body of electrically-conductive material attached to the band is the pole shoe of a starter of an internal combustion engine and the coil which encircles the body of electrically-conductive material is the coil which encircles the pole shoe in the starter of the internal combustion engine.

7. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the system includes a plurality of bodies of electrically-conductive material secured to the band and in electrically-conducting relationship therewith, and includes a plurality of insulated coils connected in series relationship with one another and wherein each coil encircles a corresponding body of electrically-conductive material so that when a DC current is conducted through the plurality of insulated coils, an electromagnetic field is induced through the bodies of electrically-conductive material which, in turn, induces an electromagnetic field within the interior opening of the band.

8. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the band has a width which is at least as broad as the body tissue to be treated with the stimulator system so that when the body tissue to be treated is positioned within the band, the band spans the body tissue to be treated.

9. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for delivering DC current to the coil is adapted to accept AC current from a source of AC power and convert the AC current to DC current for delivery to the coil.

10. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein the means for delivering DC current to the coil is a battery charger.

11. A method for treating body tissue with an electromagnetic field including the steps of:

providing an electromagnetic stimulator system including

a) an electrically-conductive band having a central opening sized to accept body tissue desired to be treated with the stimulator system;

b) a body of electrically-conductive material secured to the band in electrically-conducting relationship therewith;

c) an insulated coil encircling the body of the electrically-conductive material so that when a DC current is conducted through the coil, an electromagnetic field is induced through the body of electrically-conductive material which, in turn, induces an electromagnetic field within the interior opening of the band; and

d) means for delivering DC current through the coil;

positioning the body tissue to be treated within the electrically-conductive band, and

delivering DC current through the coil so that the body tissue positioned within the band is exposed to the electromagnetic field induced within the interior opening of the band.

12. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein the time with which the body tissue is treated with the system is monitored so that the body tissue is not exposed to the electromagnetic field generated within the band for more than about thirty minutes at a time.

13. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein the provided stimulator system includes means connected to the coil for selectively altering the flow of DC current which is delivered to the coil between one current flow and another current flow so that the body tissue positioned within the band can be treated by the electromagnetic field induced by the one or another flow of DC current through the coil.

14. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein the means for selectively altering includes resistance means wired in-line with the insulated coil between the means for delivering DC current to the coil and the coil so that current flow from the DC current source flows through the resistance means before flowing through the coil.

15. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein the means for selectively altering includes resistance means wired in-line with the insulated coil between the means for delivering DC current to the coil and the coil so that current flow from the DC current source flows through the coil before flowing through the resistance means.